Gervais brothers sentenced to life

Eddie Lopez and Lorenzo Lopez-Gordillo plead guilty to shooting death of Charlie Rivera

Two brothers from Gervais were sentenced to life in prison after pleading guilty on July 25 to the murder of a Woodburn man in Salem last year.

Lorenzo Lopez-Gordillo, 23, and his brother Eddie Lopez, 24, were convicted in the shooting death of 23-year-old Charlie Rivera at a Salem apartment complex on Sept. 7, 2013.

Lopez-Gordillo and Lopez pleaded guilty in circuit court to murder with a firearm, a Measure 11 offense that carries a minimum 25-year prison sentence. Conditions of the sentence include the possibility of parole with a lifetime of post-prison supervision after the men serve their minimum sentence.

The convictions close the case on the homicide that occurred almost one year ago at the Londonaire Apartments in Salem.

According to court documents, an incident involving Rivera, Riveras girlfriend and Eddie Lopez preceded the murder on May 17, 2013. Eddie Lopez pointed a gun at the girlfriend while she was in a car driven by Rivera. As Rivera drove away, Eddie Lopez fired the gun, though it was unclear if he fired into the air or at the vehicle.

Eddie Lopez and Riveras girlfriend have a child together, and she told officers he was mad because she was dating Rivera. Eddie Lopez was charged with two counts of menacing.

On Sept. 7, Rivera and his girlfriend got into an argument at the apartment complex in Salem, and Rivera hit her, prompting her to call Eddie Lopez for a ride.

According to another witness testimony, Eddie Lopez left his residence after she arrived, and when he returned, he announced that Rivera was dead. Eddie Lopez told her that he had killed Rivera and that he would kill her if she said anything about it.

Police found a handprint on the passenger side of Riveras vehicle that belonged to Lopez-Gordillo, and they interviewed the brothers mother, who confirmed that Eddie Lopez confessed to her that he had shot Rivera.

The two brothers were arrested Sept. 13 in Independence. Lopez told Salem police that he hadnt seen Rivera in five years and that he had not left his apartment on the night of the incident. When officers interviewed Lopez-Gordillo, he admitted that the two had contacted Rivera after they learned Rivera had assaulted his girlfriend. Lopez-Gordillo said he and his brother both had handguns that they fired at Rivera while he was sitting in his car.

Both brothers have a list of more than 20 criminal convictions dating back to 2006. Lopez has been previously convicted of menacing, criminal mischief, theft and assault, while Lopez- Gordillo has prior convictions of criminal trespass, harassment, theft and two counts of unlawful use of a weapon.

Court documents show that the state will recommend parole after 25 years for Lopez-Gordillo if he severs ties with his gang and maintains a clean prison record. The state agreed to drop charges of assault against the two brothers after they had pleaded guilty to the murder.

Phil Hawkins covers sports and the city of Gervais. He can be reached at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or 503-765-1194.